Can table saw dado sled double as a crosscut sled?


Chicirda

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I remember reading an article ... Wood magazine... maybe fine woodworking... anyway, there was a design for a sled with a replaceable insert for dados and or zero clearance blades. I think that would be slick as elephant snot, but having said that, I have 3 sleds. 1 for normal stuff, 1 for 3/4" dados, 1 for basically everything else.

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I've made many many many box joint jigs in my life. I always just make them as needed and then chuck them in a corner and sometimes reuse them.

 

I've had "Make a quality ADJUSTABLE box joint jig" on my list of shop projects for about 5 years now.... Yeah, still haven't gotten around to that one.

 

If you do make a sled with a box joint jig incorporated into it, please post pictures. I need the motivation.

 

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Getting back to the original question. Yes, you can make ONE sled work for both regular blades and any size dado blade you want.

I found plans in a magazine (WOOD magazine I think) back in 2011 for an ADJUSTABLE table saw sled so....... I made one.

I don't really adjust it very often and I have a right tilt saw and the plans were for a left tilt so I had to "modify" it a bit so these pictures look different than what was in the magazine.

 

Tablesawsled001_zpsed2656b4.jpg

 

 

Tablesawsled002_zpsc659e0c3.jpg

 

 

Tablesawsled003_zpsde079cc1.jpg

 

As you can see, the long extension arm is removable and was an option in the original plans but, I do use it quite a lot when cutting longer stock.

Still, I think the the answers above of making TWO sled's is probably easier and more user friendly.

 

Rog

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So, in one direction it's regular kerf, and to use the adjustable dado kerf you reverse the sled on the table?

 

No, the knobs are loosened and the center panel is slid over to the left the required distance to incorporate the dado blade. At the front, the left most knob is used along with the knob on the back to get any width you might need.

The two other knobs (center and right) at the front are used to hold the extension on the sled.

As I said before, I've never used the feature so far. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. :)  :rolleyes:  

I just wanted to answer the question if "Can you make one sled to use both types of blades?"  and the answer is..... "YES". ;)  

 

Rog

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You don't have to get fancy.   Simply screw some 1/4" MDF to the floor and back fence, and you're good to go.   Even if you build a dedicated dado sled, you may want to use it for more than one width.

 

Need to cut more dados, or your kerf widened?    Unscrew one of the floor halves, slide it over, screw into a different area, and fill the kerf again.  The side of the kerf that your arbor nut goes on is the side you'll need to move most often.  The other side usually doesn't change much.     

 

I often clamp a 1/4" strip to the back fence, and just move it to a fresh area if I need fresh backing.  I don't even bother with screws...  This is really handy if you're cutting odd tilt angles and still need kerf support.

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